I'm finally back...

158 is the number of days since I last made a blog post. I wasn't going to go into too much detail about my extended absence because I'm sure you've got better things to do with your time. However, I feel something of an explanation is in order.

After I made my last blog post I was hit with some excruciating pain in an area where a guy doesn't really like pain. Let me tell you it was BAD. So I curled up into a ball, and laid in bed for a few hours. This had happened before, and I had to make a trip to a medical clinic. ( I was at work at the time... ) As I was laying there I began thinking that this could be something different than before, OR the doctors had been wrong. One said a hernia, the other epididymitis. They finally decided on epididymitis. This was a couple of years ago. After I could get up for a while I did some research, and realized the doctors had more than likely been wrong. I was positive I had Cyclist Syndrome, or Pudendal Nuralgia or Pudendal Nerve Entrapment (PNE). To put it simply a nerve in the pelvic region gets entrapped, and pain ensues. Lots and lots of pain.

The whole problem was caused by having a really lousy desk chair, and sitting for hours at the desk working on the computer, and also sitting on bar stools way too much. Sitting on a hard surface, or doing a lot of bicycling is the primary cause. I hope all my fellow bloggers have good chairs that are well cushioned!

I did some more research and concluded that if I didn't need surgery then rest was the way to go. That and OTC pain killers. Only time would tell. I didn't have medical insurance, and couldn't afford a trip to the doctor's office. Why pay for a wrong diagnosis and treatment anyway? So I spent a couple of weeks not doing much, just laying in bed, when my back decides to go wonky on me as well. ( I was diagnosed with a herniated L5. ) Yet more pain...

This whole episode let the winds out of my blogging sails so to speak. I was discouraged. I couldn't sit at the computer for very long without ending up in pain, so I had to curtail my writing, and reading of other blogs. I also missed two local conventions I really wanted to attend. All of my writing, mapping, and design projects got put on hold.  I was really discouraged after this.  This past summer wasn't all that great, but I'm moving on.

Well, the PNE finally cleared up after a couple of months, and the back is about the same it's always been, sometimes good, sometimes bad. The medical problems, and other life issues kept me from the gaming blogosphere for quite a while.

I've just recently started reading blogs again, and something I'll write about next time encouraged me to get back to gaming, or at least writing about it; until I find a group to game with. So for now I'm back, and looking forward to getting back on track. I would have been back sooner, but I got hit with a nasty virus about a week and a half ago. It's always something it seems...

My apologies for the non-gaming post. I just felt like I owed the people that started following my blog an explanation.